One of the newest movies to enter development for a remake poses some unique challenges and intrigue. This will be a new iteration of 2011’s political sci-fi thriller The Adjustment Bureau, starring Matt Damon and Emily Blunt. The movie follows a budding relationship between a politician and a dancer, when a mysterious organization that controls destiny intervenes, trying to keep them apart.
The Adjustment Bureau was directed by George Nolfi, who co-wrote the script with Philip K. Dick; the movie was a modest success, grossing $127.8 million on a $62 million budget. Now, ᴅᴇᴀᴅline reports that Nolfi is working on an Indian-language remake of The Adjustment Bureau in collaboration with Graphic India, with the company’s CEO and founder Sharad Devarajan producing.
Damon had long since been established as an A-list star when he took on The Adjustment Bureau, thanks largely to his back-to-back roles in Good Will Hunting and Saving Private Ryan at the end of the 1990s. Blunt, at the time, was newer, having broken out with 2006’s The Devil Wears Prada. Both went on to make many more respected prestige films.
Nolfi is known as one of the co-writers for both Ocean’s 12 and The Bourne Ultimatum, the latter marking another collaboration between him and Damon. He is also reportedly the screenwriter for the Star Wars: New Jedi Order movie, though this project has seemingly been delayed. Nolfi said in a statement about The Adjustment Bureau‘s remake:
India’s rich philosophical and spiritual traditions offer an incredible canvas to explore the themes of destiny and free will that are at the heart of The Adjustment Bureau. Knowing Sharad well, and his work transforming global properties while staying true to their essence, I couldn’t imagine a better creative partner to bring this uniquely Indian vision to life.
Devarajan, meanwhile, is credited as the co-creator of the Indian Spider-Man, Pavitr Prabhakar, who appears in 2023’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. He also co-created the animated series The Legend of Hanuman and Baahubali: Crown of Blood. Affirming some of the remarks of his new collaborator, Devarajan said in his own statement:
Having known George for years, I’m absolutely thrilled to be collaborating with him on this exciting Indian reimagining of the amazing film he created. The concepts of karma, dharma, and the eternal dance between fate and choice are deeply embedded in Indian culture. How love and determination can rewrite the very fabric of destiny is a theme that has inspired storytelling for thousands of years, making India the perfect setting for a reimagined version of The Adjustment Bureau.
Unlike some other remake projects, The Adjustment Bureau isn’t drawn from a movie that seems completely untouchable. Its standing in pop culture is modest enough that reinterpretation may be welcomed, and Nolfi and Devarajan do seem to be offering something new by again delving into the themes of free will and fate, but with this exploration being based in Indian culture.
The original The Adjustment Bureau, also starring Anthony Mackie (who collaborated again with Nolfi on The Banker and Elevation), John Slattery, Michael Kelly, and Terence Stamp, has been recurrently interpreted as demonstrating religious themes. While it wasn’t a mᴀssive critical success, the potential for profound storytelling was always there, which Nolfi might finally reach with more experience now.
